art teacher Andrea Grimsley. (Provided Photo)
(Batesville, IN) – The fourth and final mural in the Batesville Community Education Foundation’s (BCEF) 2025-26 Art on Main student art program in downtown Batesville has been installed for public viewing on the side of the Simons Company building on Main Street.
The mural, created by Batesville High School (BHS) freshman Ella Meer, reflects this year’s art theme of Weathering Emotions.
It was originally created using acrylic paints on poster board before being converted for display.
“In this piece, I chose to depict a person being overwhelmed by emotions, who, regardless, has found peace,” explained Meer. “As a student, it often feels as though a million emotions are attacking you all at once, leading to a loss of control. To ‘weather’ these emotions, I focus on finding something that calms me. In this mural, the raging storm of emotions around the person represents the chaos of life, but the individual has found peace and continued on through the storm. I drew inspiration for this piece from the common phrase, ‘My calm in the storm.’ I wanted to show that while battling emotions can be difficult, it is possible to find your calm, endure the emotions, and continue forward with life.”
BCEF’s Art on Main program highlights artwork from students from the four Batesville Community School Corporation (BCSC) school buildings on a rotating basis.
A special thank you from BCEF is extended to Jimmy Rowland of Rowland Graphics, who donates his company’s time to install every mural, and Nick Maple, owner of the building, who provides the use of his location for the display.
In addition, the foundation appreciates BHS art teacher Andrea Grimsley for her ongoing support. BCEF board members Jama Linkel-Cleghorn and Ryan Holcomb are volunteer program coordinators.
The BHS mural will be on display until the fall, when a new art series will begin for the 2026-27 school year.
For more information about Art on Main or any of BCEF’s programs, contact BCEF executive director Anne Wilson at awilson@batesville.k12.in.us.
(Batesville Community Education Foundation press release)
